Dressing properly for a job interview can be the deciding factor in winning the position.
When competition is keen, details make the difference.
Dress is the most important factor in the non-verbal communication between the candidate and the employer.
Even before a word is spoken, the interviewer is getting a first impression from your clothes and body language.
Too often if this initial impression is negative, it is impossible to overcome.
The image projected to a potential employer should be one of a professional in his field.
It is important to invest the time and money necessary to attain the right look.
The old adage is true: ``If you want to make money, you have to spend money."
The investment in a good new suit for an interview is one of the best expenditures you can make.
Keep in mind, however, that this outfit is not necessarily just for campus interviews.
Probably there will be follow-up visits to the organization's offices for further interviews as well as leads that you follow up on your own.
Also, the clothes and tips described here are the ``uniform" of most professional men so your ``interview suit" can become the start of your working wardrobe.
SUIT.
Sport coats, or a shirt and tie are not appropriate.
A suit with matching coat and pants is the standard for all professional men.
A matching vest is optional.
A vest can add to your look of authority and a different look with just one suit.
STYLE (or cut) should be single-breasted and traditional.
Designer suits that are highly fitted (European cut) are not advisable for interviewing or truly professional settings. (The European style is attractive to women, however, and is good in a non-business, or social, setting.)
The suit coat can have a little moderate shaping but nothing severe.
Either single center or double side vents in the back are acceptable. (Side vents are very good on men with big behinds, but they are very hard to find with a traditional cut.)
Suits should be plain with no fancy or contrasting buttons, stitching, or western trim.
COLOR AND PATTERNS should be solid, pinstripe or some cases, subtle plaid.
The best colors are shades of blue, gray or beige.
Browns, blacks and greens are not recommended.
Psychological impact:
1. Solid navy (blue) is liked by almost everyone but should not be worn by extremely tall or extremely short men.
2. Solid dark gray is good for dealing with executives but should not be worn by extremely short men.
3. Dark blue pinstripe is good for dealing with executives and can be worn by all but very thin men.
4. Dark gray pinstripe is good for dealing with executives but should not be worn by very tall or very thin men.
5. Medium blue solid is liked by almost everyone and can be worn by most men.
6. Medium gray solid is good for dealing with professional but should not be worn by heavy men.
The best suit to buy for interviewing is a vested dark blue solid.
By changing shirt colors and ties, different looks can be achieved, and each will be professional.
FABRICS for suits should be wool or wool blended with polyester.
In this climate, wool is usually too warm, but generally, the higher the wool content, the richer looking the suit.
Textured polyester is all right if it looks like wool.
Polyester also has the advantage of not wrinkling too badly when worn in hot weather.
Some cotton or linen suits are fair but they wrinkle very badly after only hours of wear.
It is best to avoid nylon, rayon & silk.
FITTING a suit correctly is as essential as buying the right suit.
Never be afraid to ask that something be altered.
You are paying your good money, and the store owes you a proper fit.
If possible, ask for the person who will do the alterations to do the fitting.
You should wear a shirt, shoes and belt to the fitting that you would wear with the suit.
Also carry whatever you would normally carry in the pockets and transfer them to the new suit that is being fitted. (It is a good idea to wear a suit or at least a sport coat, tie and slacks when suit shopping.)
Tell the tailor to fit the suit with your pockets full since billfolds, cigarettes, etc., can cause bulges that should be covered in fittings.
The pants should be fitted first, starting at the waist.
The waist should be worn just above the navel and horizontal to the ground.
The waist should be tight enough to prevent bulges under the belt but loose enough so that you can comfortably slip the flat of your hand in and out.
The seat of the pants should not bag but must allow enough room so that the front pockets do not pull and sitting is comfortable.
If the seat is too large, ask the fitter to pin it rather than just chalking it, because it will affect the length.
The same guidelines apply to fitting the crotch. The legs of the pants can be left either plain or cuffed.
The vest should be fitted so that there is no pulling or sagging when sitting or standing.
(It is important to sit down as well as to stand during the fittings to be sure there are no problems when sitting.)
The vest should fit smoothly but not bind during normal movement. It should not balloon when sitting.
It should be long enough to overlap the front of the pants so that the shirt does not show between them.
The coat should be fitted from the top down, just as the pants were.
The back of the jacket across the shoulders should be absolutely flat. This is a problem to alter, but if it is not flat, have it fixed.
If the tailor claims that it cannot be fixed, do not buy the suit. (Again, you should carry everything in your pants and coat pockets that you normally carry. The fitter may ask you to remove them, but do not. The fitting must eliminate any bulges that these items may create.)
The chest should be smooth when standing and sitting with the coat buttoned.
There should be no wrinkles, bulges, gaping, pulling.
The common test for the proper length of the jacket is to let your arms hang straight, palms in, and curl your fingers.
If the bottom just fits into the curl, it is right.
If it does not, do not buy the suit, since this cannot be corrected.
The coat sleeves should fall about five inches from the top of the thumb.
Remember to have the fitter save you a sample of the material from the cuffs of the pants.
With this you can match and coordinate shirts and ties.
When you go to pick up the suit, try it on again to be absolutely sure that it fits correctly.
If there are any problems have them corrected.
After all, you are paying a lot of money for your most important piece of clothing, and any store should make it fit correctly.
WHAT ABOUT SPORT COATS? The name tells you all you need to know.
Sport coats and blazers are not formal enough for interviewing or, for that matter, most work situations, particularly in business.
If they are all you own and you cannot afford a new suit, be sure they are conservative, tailored correctly, worn with good slacks, shirt and appropriate tie.
SHIRTS should always be plain and long-sleeved.
They can be made of cotton or polyester that looks like cotton.
No shiny, slick or see-through weaves are acceptable.
The fit should be smooth (not a ``body shirt") but free from pulling or gaping at the buttons.
There should be no bagginess or bunching at the waist. The shirt tail should be long enough to stay tucked into your pants during normal activity.
The collar should be compatible in width with your suit lapels, not tucked inside the coat or overlap on the outside.
Button-down collars are all right for younger men, but may not appeal to older executives.
The sleeves cuff should extend just below the wrist bone and extend about one-half inch below your suit coat sleeve.
SHIRT COLORS should complement your suit and always be lighter than your tie.
Solid colors are usually best for interviewing with white and light blue being the best.
Other pastels are all right as long as they are pale and not bright or gaudy.
Avoid prints, plaids, boxes or shirts with stitching in a contrasting color.
TIES are your most important status symbol and should be matched to your shirt and suit with great care.
The length should be such that when tied, the front point just touches the waist of your pants.
The width should be approximately the same as your coat lapels.
The best materials for ties are silk or a polyester and silk blend.
The tie should be lined with a stiff material to give it body but, before buying, make sure it ties into a good knot.
TIE PATTERNS can be almost anything as long as the basic color complements your suit and a secondary color picks up your shirt.
Solid colors, polka dots (the smaller the better), Rep (diagonal stripes) or Ivy League are the best patterns. Avoid anything too bright.
COORDINATING YOUR OUTFIT involves four elements: colors, lines, textures and styles.
Colors should not clash or be so monotonous that they fade into each other. Some contrast is necessary.
The line of your patterns should run in the same directions (no plaid shirts with pinstripe suit).
Texture is the look of the materials, and they should be compatible.
For instance, a very shiny silk tie will clash with a wool suit.
Styles should be compatible. A wide tie with narrow lapels looks strange.
NEVER PUT TWO PATTERNS NEXT TO EACH OTHER, e.g., plaid tie with a striped shirt, striped shirt with a plaid suit, etc.
SHOES should be either black or dark brown leather with little or no decoration (metal, contrasting stitching, etc.).
They should be highly polished and in good repair.
Extremely thick soles or high heels are not advisable. No boots of any kind.
SOCKS should be the same color as your suit. Be sure that they are long enough so that your leg does not show when you sit or cross your legs.
BELTS should always be worn with a suit.
They should be plain leather, an inch to 1.5 inches wide with small, clean traditional buckles.
Big, heavy or ornate buckles are not good. Ideally, all of your leather accessories should match (shoes, belt, even watchband and wallet, if possible).
WALLETS can be carried either in the back pocket or in the inside coat pocket.
The wallet should not stick out of the pocket.
Watch out for the bulge wallets create when fitting a suit.
JEWELLERY follows the rule ``less is better."
Any jewelry that you do wear should be plain and not draw attention to itself.
One ring is enough.
A watch should be slim and plain.
ID bracelets are borderline in acceptability.
In most cases, collar pins, tie clips or tie tacks should not be worn.
YOUR BEST BET is a solid dark blue suit with vest, a solid white shirt and a red, white and blue tie.
To recap some of the do's and don'ts of dressing for an interview:
ALWAYS:
1. Wear a suit.
2. Select your clothing with the job you are interviewing for in mind.
3. Be sure your colors, styles, lines and textures are complementary.
4. Wear plain, highly polished shoes.
5. Err on the conservative side if you make a mistake.
NEVER:
1. Wear highly styled clothes.
2. Wear bright or bold colors.
3. Wear cowboy boots or any other ``western" type clothes.
4. Wear clothes with a designer's label or logo visible.
When competition is keen, details make the difference.
Dress is the most important factor in the non-verbal communication between the candidate and the employer.
Even before a word is spoken, the interviewer is getting a first impression from your clothes and body language.
Too often if this initial impression is negative, it is impossible to overcome.
The image projected to a potential employer should be one of a professional in his field.
It is important to invest the time and money necessary to attain the right look.
The old adage is true: ``If you want to make money, you have to spend money."
The investment in a good new suit for an interview is one of the best expenditures you can make.
Keep in mind, however, that this outfit is not necessarily just for campus interviews.
Probably there will be follow-up visits to the organization's offices for further interviews as well as leads that you follow up on your own.
Also, the clothes and tips described here are the ``uniform" of most professional men so your ``interview suit" can become the start of your working wardrobe.
SUIT.
Sport coats, or a shirt and tie are not appropriate.
A suit with matching coat and pants is the standard for all professional men.
A matching vest is optional.
A vest can add to your look of authority and a different look with just one suit.
STYLE (or cut) should be single-breasted and traditional.
Designer suits that are highly fitted (European cut) are not advisable for interviewing or truly professional settings. (The European style is attractive to women, however, and is good in a non-business, or social, setting.)
The suit coat can have a little moderate shaping but nothing severe.
Either single center or double side vents in the back are acceptable. (Side vents are very good on men with big behinds, but they are very hard to find with a traditional cut.)
Suits should be plain with no fancy or contrasting buttons, stitching, or western trim.
COLOR AND PATTERNS should be solid, pinstripe or some cases, subtle plaid.
The best colors are shades of blue, gray or beige.
Browns, blacks and greens are not recommended.
Psychological impact:
1. Solid navy (blue) is liked by almost everyone but should not be worn by extremely tall or extremely short men.
2. Solid dark gray is good for dealing with executives but should not be worn by extremely short men.
3. Dark blue pinstripe is good for dealing with executives and can be worn by all but very thin men.
4. Dark gray pinstripe is good for dealing with executives but should not be worn by very tall or very thin men.
5. Medium blue solid is liked by almost everyone and can be worn by most men.
6. Medium gray solid is good for dealing with professional but should not be worn by heavy men.
The best suit to buy for interviewing is a vested dark blue solid.
By changing shirt colors and ties, different looks can be achieved, and each will be professional.
FABRICS for suits should be wool or wool blended with polyester.
In this climate, wool is usually too warm, but generally, the higher the wool content, the richer looking the suit.
Textured polyester is all right if it looks like wool.
Polyester also has the advantage of not wrinkling too badly when worn in hot weather.
Some cotton or linen suits are fair but they wrinkle very badly after only hours of wear.
It is best to avoid nylon, rayon & silk.
FITTING a suit correctly is as essential as buying the right suit.
Never be afraid to ask that something be altered.
You are paying your good money, and the store owes you a proper fit.
If possible, ask for the person who will do the alterations to do the fitting.
You should wear a shirt, shoes and belt to the fitting that you would wear with the suit.
Also carry whatever you would normally carry in the pockets and transfer them to the new suit that is being fitted. (It is a good idea to wear a suit or at least a sport coat, tie and slacks when suit shopping.)
Tell the tailor to fit the suit with your pockets full since billfolds, cigarettes, etc., can cause bulges that should be covered in fittings.
The pants should be fitted first, starting at the waist.
The waist should be worn just above the navel and horizontal to the ground.
The waist should be tight enough to prevent bulges under the belt but loose enough so that you can comfortably slip the flat of your hand in and out.
The seat of the pants should not bag but must allow enough room so that the front pockets do not pull and sitting is comfortable.
If the seat is too large, ask the fitter to pin it rather than just chalking it, because it will affect the length.
The same guidelines apply to fitting the crotch. The legs of the pants can be left either plain or cuffed.
The vest should be fitted so that there is no pulling or sagging when sitting or standing.
(It is important to sit down as well as to stand during the fittings to be sure there are no problems when sitting.)
The vest should fit smoothly but not bind during normal movement. It should not balloon when sitting.
It should be long enough to overlap the front of the pants so that the shirt does not show between them.
The coat should be fitted from the top down, just as the pants were.
The back of the jacket across the shoulders should be absolutely flat. This is a problem to alter, but if it is not flat, have it fixed.
If the tailor claims that it cannot be fixed, do not buy the suit. (Again, you should carry everything in your pants and coat pockets that you normally carry. The fitter may ask you to remove them, but do not. The fitting must eliminate any bulges that these items may create.)
The chest should be smooth when standing and sitting with the coat buttoned.
There should be no wrinkles, bulges, gaping, pulling.
The common test for the proper length of the jacket is to let your arms hang straight, palms in, and curl your fingers.
If the bottom just fits into the curl, it is right.
If it does not, do not buy the suit, since this cannot be corrected.
The coat sleeves should fall about five inches from the top of the thumb.
Remember to have the fitter save you a sample of the material from the cuffs of the pants.
With this you can match and coordinate shirts and ties.
When you go to pick up the suit, try it on again to be absolutely sure that it fits correctly.
If there are any problems have them corrected.
After all, you are paying a lot of money for your most important piece of clothing, and any store should make it fit correctly.
WHAT ABOUT SPORT COATS? The name tells you all you need to know.
Sport coats and blazers are not formal enough for interviewing or, for that matter, most work situations, particularly in business.
If they are all you own and you cannot afford a new suit, be sure they are conservative, tailored correctly, worn with good slacks, shirt and appropriate tie.
SHIRTS should always be plain and long-sleeved.
They can be made of cotton or polyester that looks like cotton.
No shiny, slick or see-through weaves are acceptable.
The fit should be smooth (not a ``body shirt") but free from pulling or gaping at the buttons.
There should be no bagginess or bunching at the waist. The shirt tail should be long enough to stay tucked into your pants during normal activity.
The collar should be compatible in width with your suit lapels, not tucked inside the coat or overlap on the outside.
Button-down collars are all right for younger men, but may not appeal to older executives.
The sleeves cuff should extend just below the wrist bone and extend about one-half inch below your suit coat sleeve.
SHIRT COLORS should complement your suit and always be lighter than your tie.
Solid colors are usually best for interviewing with white and light blue being the best.
Other pastels are all right as long as they are pale and not bright or gaudy.
Avoid prints, plaids, boxes or shirts with stitching in a contrasting color.
TIES are your most important status symbol and should be matched to your shirt and suit with great care.
The length should be such that when tied, the front point just touches the waist of your pants.
The width should be approximately the same as your coat lapels.
The best materials for ties are silk or a polyester and silk blend.
The tie should be lined with a stiff material to give it body but, before buying, make sure it ties into a good knot.
TIE PATTERNS can be almost anything as long as the basic color complements your suit and a secondary color picks up your shirt.
Solid colors, polka dots (the smaller the better), Rep (diagonal stripes) or Ivy League are the best patterns. Avoid anything too bright.
COORDINATING YOUR OUTFIT involves four elements: colors, lines, textures and styles.
Colors should not clash or be so monotonous that they fade into each other. Some contrast is necessary.
The line of your patterns should run in the same directions (no plaid shirts with pinstripe suit).
Texture is the look of the materials, and they should be compatible.
For instance, a very shiny silk tie will clash with a wool suit.
Styles should be compatible. A wide tie with narrow lapels looks strange.
NEVER PUT TWO PATTERNS NEXT TO EACH OTHER, e.g., plaid tie with a striped shirt, striped shirt with a plaid suit, etc.
SHOES should be either black or dark brown leather with little or no decoration (metal, contrasting stitching, etc.).
They should be highly polished and in good repair.
Extremely thick soles or high heels are not advisable. No boots of any kind.
SOCKS should be the same color as your suit. Be sure that they are long enough so that your leg does not show when you sit or cross your legs.
BELTS should always be worn with a suit.
They should be plain leather, an inch to 1.5 inches wide with small, clean traditional buckles.
Big, heavy or ornate buckles are not good. Ideally, all of your leather accessories should match (shoes, belt, even watchband and wallet, if possible).
WALLETS can be carried either in the back pocket or in the inside coat pocket.
The wallet should not stick out of the pocket.
Watch out for the bulge wallets create when fitting a suit.
JEWELLERY follows the rule ``less is better."
Any jewelry that you do wear should be plain and not draw attention to itself.
One ring is enough.
A watch should be slim and plain.
ID bracelets are borderline in acceptability.
In most cases, collar pins, tie clips or tie tacks should not be worn.
YOUR BEST BET is a solid dark blue suit with vest, a solid white shirt and a red, white and blue tie.
To recap some of the do's and don'ts of dressing for an interview:
ALWAYS:
1. Wear a suit.
2. Select your clothing with the job you are interviewing for in mind.
3. Be sure your colors, styles, lines and textures are complementary.
4. Wear plain, highly polished shoes.
5. Err on the conservative side if you make a mistake.
NEVER:
1. Wear highly styled clothes.
2. Wear bright or bold colors.
3. Wear cowboy boots or any other ``western" type clothes.
4. Wear clothes with a designer's label or logo visible.
0 comments:
Post a Comment